[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-look
Subject:    Re: Standard questions and answers
From:       Derek <fountai () hursley ! ibm ! com>
Date:       1999-09-16 8:44:06
[Download RAW message or body]

> >   -----------------------
> >   Something has happened!
> >
> >             OK
> >   -----------------------
> 
> Why does 'OK' make sense here?  Are you asking a question or an opinion?
> The user has no recourse at this point, so the button should say 'Whatever',
> or 'Go Away', or maybe 'Close' would work ;-)

Fair point, but it's got to say something! "Acknowledged" or "Accept"
would be the best, and I've seen both used in some GUIs, but they
doesn't really look right. "Close" is out, that sounds like it would
close the application or something. "OK" is the one people recognise,
and is sounds like something which is going to move things forward when
they click it. I'm open to suggestions for generic alternatives.

> > Cancel means nothing in a confirmation dialog, and doesn't mean much at
> > other times. When was the last time someone asked you a question (in
> > English :-)) and you replied "cancel". Just because it's a computer
> > doesn't mean we have to use computer-speak. Quite the opposite in fact.
> 
> The last time somebody asked me if I was sure I wanted to do something, I
> sayed 'no', and then did it anyway ;-)  The question is ambiguous, and so is
> the answer.  The point is, you don't care if the user is sure or not, you
> care whether they are going to do it anyway.

Um, yeeeessss....? If the GUI asks the user a question, and they lie,
there's not much we can do about that. All I am trying to ensure is that
we ask a simple questions and give simple unambiguous potential answers.
If something needs confirming, asking the user if they are sure they
want to do it doesn't strike me as ambiguous. If they don't understand
they'll say "No" because they're not sure. Perhaps I've missed your
point?

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]